We Offer Hospitality to All God's Children
We became an Open and Affirming Congregation (ONA) within the United Church of Christ on September 19, 2010 as we adopted the following Open & Affirming Mission Statement:
"As a community of faith, we declare ourselves to be an Open and Affirming church. We welcome people of every ability, age, economic status, gender, nationality, race or sexual orientation
orientation (which includes gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender
people), to join us in the full life membership and ministry of Fairlawn West United Church of Christ.
We believe that every person is a child of God, made in God’s image, loved by God, and invested with dignity and worth; and that discipleship requires us to “Welcome others as Christ welcomes us” (Romans 15:7). As an Open and Affirming Congregation, we embrace diversity in our congregation and in our community.
To exclude persons from the church and society because of sexual orientation or on any other basis withers away the
Body of Christ. When one part of the body suffers, all others suffer with it (1 Corinthians 12:26). Instead, we vow to do
all within our power to promote justice and healing through our commitment to being an Open and Affirming Church.
We give glory and thanks to the Lord Jesus Christ for the many diverse gifts and talents that God has given all of God's children."
Open and Affirming resources from the United Church of Christ
The "Clobber Passages" of the Bible used against homosexuality.
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